Amherst heading back to title game

By Greg Seubert

Touchdowns on five straight possessions helped the Amherst football team seal its fourth straight trip to the WIAA Division 5 state championship game.

Bryce Holderman scored three touchdowns and ran for a game-high 179 yards Nov. 10 in the Falcons’ 35-6 win over previously unbeaten Grantsburg in a state semifinal game at Stanley-Boyd High School.

Amherst will now face Lake Country Lutheran at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison and will go for the team’s third state championship in a row.

Neither team scored in the first quarter, but Holderman scored his first TD from a yard out with 7:20 remaining in the first half. He found the end zone again with 17 seconds to go in the half from 2 yards out to cap an eight-play, 54-yard drive.

Amherst recovered its own onside kick to open the second half and Holderman ended that drive with another 1-yard run with 8:20 to go in the third quarter. Quarterback Marcus Glodowski kept the drive alive with a 6-yard keeper that gave the Falcons a first-and-goal at the 1-yard line.

The Falcons soon had the ball back after recovering quarterback Luke Anderson’s fumble at the Grantsburg 41-yard line. Holderman headed for the end zone for what would have been his fourth rushing touchdown, but he fumbled the ball before scoring. Teammate Mason Peterson recovered the ball in the end zone and the Falcons had a 28-0 lead with 5:08 remaining in the third quarter.

Anderson caused the fumble and he and Holderman were injured on the play. Neither player returned to the game.

Carter Zblewski set up Amherst’s final touchdown by with an interception that gave the Falcons the ball at their own 36-yard line. Glodowski wrapped up the scoring with a 9-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Grantsburg’s touchdown came with 4:28 to go in the game on John Chenal’s 2-yard pass to Gabe Chenal.